Route 66 - Day #6
Thursday, April 16, 2026
This place should be the image next to the definition of Kitsch in the dictionary. Uranus, Missouri!
Kitsch (pronounced kitch) refers to art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste due to excessive garishness, sentimentality, or tawdry styling, yet often appreciated in an ironic or nostalgic way. It represents "trashy" or commercialized art designed for mass appeal rather than high-culture aesthetic value.
Click on Image for Map.
Everything about this place appeals to the 12 year old boy in me. However, my 56 year old wife couldn’t stop laughing and spent the rest of the day quoting the quirky sayings.
Route 66 - part history, part nostalgia, and a whole lot of goofy!!
Lisa points out the proper way to enter Uranus.
As soon as you walk in the door, every employee in this place - and there are MANY - yells, “Welcome to Uranus!” Then, everything they say to you is some pun on Uranus. We had to try the best fudge from Uranus, and the woman who served us asked, “Do you want your fudge packed tight in a box or just loose in a bag?” When we checked out we were told, “Be careful pulling out of Uranus!” You can’t make this stuff up.
And of course, there has to be Uranus Liquors!
Some of the lovely apparel for sale. No, we did NOT purchase any clothing.
However, if I were still working, I would consider buying a bunch of these to doll out to some of my Residents….
Lisa and I can attest, the fudge from Uranus is pretty good actually.
If you have been following along since Day 1 - we had to keep with the theme….
When the ice cream place is open they also open this bus which has tables and chairs to use while you lick Uranus ice cream. The store actually plays crazy music which are all songs about Uranus and one goes on and on about licking Uranus ice cream. It is over the top for sure, but funny in small doses. If you don’t find the humor, maybe you should stop taking yourself quite so seriously.
It claims to be the world’s largest belt buckle.
Across the street at the mini putt is the “Mayor of Uranus.”
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And, of course, the mini putt place has to be called Putt Pirates.
Next was a stop in Lebanon, MO at the old Munger Moss Motel. This was another staple of Route 66 for many years. It is now closed, but it appears to have been purchased by a group in town that is actively remodeling it with the intention to re-open and continue the tradition.
Click on Image for Map.
The BolwMor Lanes are directly across from the Munger Moss. It appears this bowling alley is still operational.
Next, we stopped at the Route 66 Museum located in the Lebanon Public Library complex. They had some replicas of old Route 66 gas stations and diners.
From ChatGPT:
The model of the Hubble Space Telescope in Marshfield, MO is a one-quarter-scale replica honoring astronomer Edwin Hubble, who was born there. Installed near the courthouse, the roughly 1,200-pound structure is made of metal and mounted on a steel frame, appearing to float above the ground. Dedicated in the 1990s, it serves as a distinctive tribute to Hubble’s discoveries about galaxies and the expanding universe.
Not directly on Route 66 - maybe one mile off the Route - was a Buc-ee’s. We HAD to stop. This is the second one we have come across in our travels. If you have never been to a Buc-ee’s before, it is an experience. Imagine a Kwik Trip - for you Minnesotans - on steroids and the size of a Wal Mart! This Buc-ee’s in Springfield, MO has 120 gas pumps!!
Click on Image for Map.
On the west side of Springfield is the Hubcaps on Route 66 monument.
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Just down the street is the sign from Red’s Giant Hamburg. Red’s has moved, but now appears closed. There is speculation that it may re-open some day.
From ChatGPT:
The iconic sign for Red’s Giant Hamburg sign is a recreated Route 66 landmark honoring the original 1947 drive-in. Its quirky “Hamburg” name came from trimming letters to fit under power lines. Restored in 2015, the sign stands as a nostalgic symbol of early fast-food innovation and Springfield’s roadside.
Our final stop for the day was the Route 66 Car Museum in Springfield, MO.
This is one we debated stopping at - we sure were glad we did. Lisa isn’t a car buff, but she loved this place - it was that well done.
This entire collection has a single owner - Guy Mace - and we were told that he has a mechanic that keeps all of these cars in working order and the owner does in fact use these cars on occasion. They hire out the body restorations and painting to another business in town. Guy Mace was reportedly a successful engineer who sold his company to Siemens and then started this collection.
Click on Image for Map.
The car from the movie Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, and Randy Quaid. Above the door even reads Cole Trickle - the main character played by Cruise.
The Bat Mobile needs no introduction.
Ecto-1
From ChatGPT:
The famous car in Ghostbusters is called the Ecto-1.
It’s a heavily modified Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance, originally built as an ambulance/hearse. In the film, the Ghostbusters outfit it with sirens, lights, and paranormal detection equipment, making it one of the most recognizable movie vehicles ever.
I never knew this was written on the top of Ecto-1. I’ve had cars for which this may have been true!
In addition to the few famous movie and TV cars, the majority of this collection are legitimate classics. I will try to include an image of the plaque for those we photographed below the car itself. We only took photos of a small subset of the vehicles in this collection.
Here is the 1934 Ford Brewster.
1934 Pierce Arrow.
1936 Pontiac Coupe.
1926 Ford Frontenac.
1936 Horch 853.
This is the rarest and most expensive car in the collection.
If you have not been reading about each car, read the one below, it is interesting - this car has ties to WWII.
The front of this 1926 Hudson was the actual vehicle used in the 1940 film “Grapes of Wrath” starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. For the film it was fitted up as a truck to be the typical “Okie Wagon.” However, over the years the truck bed portion deteriorated and it was restored as more of a roadster as seen here.
2005 Morgan Aero 8.
This was Lisa’s single favorite car in the place.
1983 Ferrari 308.
1983 DMC Delorean.
1933 Auburn 12.
1948 Packard Super 8.
1954 Jaguar XK120.
